By — Shyamal Sinha
The overwhelming majority of Tibetans traditionally have been Buddhists. Before the 1950s, prayer flags flew from every home and adorned the mountain slopes. Monasteries were established throughout the country, and the Dalai Lama, the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism, was the supreme political head of the nation. A minority, however, were adherents of Islam, Hinduism, Bon, or Christianity. The Dalai Lama went into exile in 1959 after the outbreak in Tibet of an armed rebellion against Chinese authorities that was suppressed by the Chinese army. Since then the Chinese at times have attempted to eliminate the influence of religion in Tibetan life.
Members of the Tibetan and Chinese communities gathered to foster dialogue and unity at a New Year Gathering event organised by the Office of Tibet in New York on December 29.
According to the exile Tibetan government run tibet.net, the gathering served as a platform for dialogue between the Tibetan and Chinese communities. Tsultrim Gyatso, the Chinese Liaison Officer of the Office of Tibet, highlighted the office’s ongoing outreach efforts to the Chinese community in North America, guided by the non-violent principles of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
He also paid tribute to the recently deceased contemporary Tibet historian Li Jianglin, expressing gratitude for her work in helping many Chinese and foreign people understand Tibet’s true historical situation through her books and articles such as “Lhasa 1959” and “When the Iron Bird Flies.” He encouraged the Chinese community to help share His Holiness’ vision of peace and compassion.
Chinese speakers at the event included Hu Ping, Zhou Fengsuo, Chen Chuangchuang, Rong Wei, and Yang Ruohui. They expressed appreciation for His Holiness’ promotion of peace and non-violence and supported the Middle Way Policy as a constructive approach to Sino-Tibetan relations. They also recognised the contributions of Li Jianglin and called for more open-minded engagement between the communities.
The event was attended by approximately 40 Chinese participants, including democracy advocates, intellectuals from the New York area, and recently arrived individuals from China. Tibetan representatives from the Tibetan Community of New York & New Jersey, six local Tibetan organisations, and the Global Movement for the Middle Way Approach attended the event.
The event aligns with His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s longstanding efforts to foster harmony between Tibetan and Chinese people. In 2009, during a visit to Sydney, Australia, His Holiness emphasised the importance of mutual understanding and transparency while addressing members of the Chinese community. He highlighted the need for compassion alongside economic development and called for dialogue and reconciliation.
In 2008, His Holiness the Dalai Lama reflected on the historical ties between Tibetans and Chinese, acknowledging a complex history marked by both cooperation and conflict. He emphasised the importance of mutual respect, particularly through shared Buddhist traditions, and advocated for dialogue as the foundation for a harmonious future.
“Since ancient times, Tibetan and Chinese peoples have lived as neighbors. In the two-thousand-year-old recorded history of our peoples, we have at times developed friendly relations, even entering into matrimonial alliances, while at other times we fought each other. However, since Buddhism flourished in China first before it arrived in Tibet from India, we Tibetans have historically accorded the Chinese people the respect and affection due to elder Dharma brothers and sisters,” he stated.
